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Pociupany M, Snoeck R, Dierickx D, Andrei G. Treatment of Epstein-Barr Virus infection in immunocompromised patients. Biochem Pharmacol 2024; 225:116270. [PMID: 38734316 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2024.116270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), is a ubiquitous γ-Herpesvirus that infects over 95% of the human population and can establish a life-long infection without causing any clinical symptoms in healthy individuals by residing in memory B-cells. Primary infection occurs in childhood and is mostly asymptomatic, however in some young adults it can result in infectious mononucleosis (IM). In immunocompromised individuals however, EBV infection has been associated with many different malignancies. Since EBV can infect both epithelial and B-cells and very rarely NK cells and T-cells, it is associated with both epithelial cancers like nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and gastric carcinoma (GC), with lymphomas including Burkitt Lymphoma (BL) or Post-transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder (PTLD) and rarely with NK/T-cell lymphomas. Currently there are no approved antivirals active in PTLD nor in any other malignancy. Moreover, lytic phase disease almost never requires antiviral treatment. Although many novel therapies against EBV have been described, the management and/or prevention of EBV primary infections or reactivations remains difficult. In this review, we discuss EBV infection, therapies targeting EBV in both lytic and latent state with novel therapeutics developed that show anti-EBV activity as well as EBV-associated malignancies both, epithelial and lymphoproliferative malignancies and emerging therapies targeting the EBV-infected cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martyna Pociupany
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Robert Snoeck
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Daan Dierickx
- Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Hematology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Graciela Andrei
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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Brás AC, Querido S, Mascarenhas A, Mendes R, Verissimo R, Chagas C, Weigert A. Epstein-Barr virus associated colitis in kidney transplant patients: a case series. Infect Dis (Lond) 2024; 56:410-415. [PMID: 38459811 DOI: 10.1080/23744235.2024.2326594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gastrointestinal complications are common in kidney transplant (KT) patients and can be a consequence of the chronic use of immunosuppression. The differential diagnosis of colitis in KT patients includes intolerance to immunosuppressive agents, namely mycophenolate mofetil, de novo inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and opportunistic infections. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection may cause post-transplant colitis or trigger de novo IBD, although is seldom thought as the causative pathogen. OBJECTIVES To describe clinical characteristics, endoscopic and histological findings, treatment and outcome of three patients that developed EBV associated colitis following kidney transplantation. METHODS We retrospectively analyzed three patients with EBV associated colitis; clinical data including transplantation, gastrointestinal symptoms, endoscopy findings, and follow-up data was obtained. RESULTS We present a case series of three patients with EBV colitis following KT, with an average age at clinical presentation of 59 years and elapsed time since the KT ranging from five to 22 years. Clinical manifestations included bloody diarrhoea, abdominal pain, weight loss and/or fever. Cytomegalovirus colitis, mycophenolate mofetil-related colitis, lymphoproliferative disease and graft versus host disease were excluded. One patient had a prior diagnosis of IBD. Two of the three patients had an unfavourable outcome with death despite reduction and/or switching of immunosuppressants, optimal medical treatment (including antiviral and intravenous immunoglobulin therapies) and salvage surgical therapy. CONCLUSION A multidisciplinary approach is necessary to allow an expeditious diagnosis of a rare entity such as EBV associated colitis in KT. Long-term surveillance of these patients and the development of effective and safe therapies is essential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Catarina Brás
- Nephrology Department, Hospital Prof. Dr. Fernando Fonseca, Amadora, Portugal
| | - Sara Querido
- Kidney Transplant Unit, Nephrology Department, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - André Mascarenhas
- Gastroenterology Department, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Raquel Mendes
- Gastroenterology Department, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Rita Verissimo
- Kidney Transplant Unit, Nephrology Department, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Cristina Chagas
- Gastroenterology Department, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - André Weigert
- Kidney Transplant Unit, Nephrology Department, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, Lisbon, Portugal
- Pharmacology and Neurosciences Department, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
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Mahadeo KM, Baiocchi R, Beitinjaneh A, Chaganti S, Choquet S, Dierickx D, Dinavahi R, Duan X, Gamelin L, Ghobadi A, Guzman-Becerra N, Joshi M, Mehta A, Navarro WH, Nikiforow S, O'Reilly RJ, Reshef R, Ruiz F, Spindler T, Prockop S. Tabelecleucel for allogeneic haematopoietic stem-cell or solid organ transplant recipients with Epstein-Barr virus-positive post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease after failure of rituximab or rituximab and chemotherapy (ALLELE): a phase 3, multicentre, open-label trial. Lancet Oncol 2024; 25:376-387. [PMID: 38309282 DOI: 10.1016/s1470-2045(23)00649-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Survival in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease following haematopoietic stem-cell transplant (HSCT) or solid organ transplant (SOT) is poor after failure of initial therapy, indicating an urgent need for therapies for this ultra-rare disease. With recent EU marketing authorisation, tabelecleucel is the first off-the-shelf, allogeneic, EBV-specific T-cell immunotherapy to receive approval for treatment of relapsed or refractory EBV-positive post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease. We aimed to determine the clinical benefit of tabelecleucel in patients with relapsed or refractory EBV-positive post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease following HSCT or SOT. METHODS In this global, multicentre, open-label, phase 3 trial, eligible patients (of any age) had biopsy-proven EBV-positive post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease, disease that was relapsed or refractory to rituximab after HSCT and rituximab with or without chemotherapy after SOT, and partially HLA-matched and appropriately HLA-restricted tabelecleucel available. Patients received tabelecleucel administered intravenously at 2 × 106 cells per kg on days 1, 8, and 15 in 35-day cycles and are assessed for up to 5 years for survival post-treatment initiation. The primary endpoint was objective response rate. All patients who received at least one dose of tabelecleucel were included in safety and efficacy analyses. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03394365, and is ongoing. FINDINGS From June 27, 2018, to Nov 5, 2021, 63 patients were enrolled, of whom 43 (24 [56%] male and 19 [44%] female) were included, 14 had prior HSCT, 29 had SOT. Seven (50%, 95% CI 23-77) of 14 participants in the HSCT group and 15 (52%, 33-71) of 29 participants in the SOT group had an objective response, with a median follow-up of 14·1 months (IQR 5·7-23·9) and 6·0 months (1·8-18·4), respectively. The most common grade 3 or 4 treatment-emergent adverse events were disease progression (in four [29%] of 14 in HSCT and eight [28%] of 29 in SOT) and decreased neutrophil count (in four [29%] of 14 in HSCT and four [14%] of 29 in SOT). Treatment-emergent serious adverse events were reported in 23 (53%) of 43 patients and fatal treatment-emergent adverse events in five (12%); no fatal treatment-emergent adverse event was treatment-related. There were no reports of tumour flare reaction, cytokine release syndrome, immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome, transmission of infectious diseases, marrow rejection, or infusion reactions. No events of graft-versus-host disease or SOT rejection were reported as related to tabelecleucel. INTERPRETATION Tabelecleucel provides clinical benefit in patients with relapsed or refractory EBV-positive post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease, for whom there are no other approved therapies, without evidence of safety concerns seen with other adoptive T-cell therapies. These data represent a potentially transformative and accessible treatment advance for patients with relapsed or refractory disease with few treatment options. FUNDING Atara Biotherapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Robert Baiocchi
- James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Amer Beitinjaneh
- Division of Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, University of Miami Hospital and Clinics, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Sridhar Chaganti
- Centre for Clinical Haematology, University Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Sylvain Choquet
- Clinical Hematology Unit, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié Salpêtrière, APHP, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | | | | | | | | | - Armin Ghobadi
- Division of Oncology, Washington University, St Louis, MO, USA
| | | | | | - Aditi Mehta
- Atara Biotherapeutics, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA
| | | | - Sarah Nikiforow
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Richard J O'Reilly
- Transplant Service, Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ran Reshef
- Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cell Therapy Program, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Fiona Ruiz
- Atara Biotherapeutics, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA
| | | | - Susan Prockop
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital-Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
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Giovannoni G, Hawkes CH, Lechner-Scott J, Levy M, Yeh EA. Emboldened or not: The potential fall-out of a failed anti-EBV trial in multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler Relat Disord 2024; 81:105364. [PMID: 38104476 DOI: 10.1016/j.msard.2023.105364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Gavin Giovannoni
- Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
| | - Christopher H Hawkes
- Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | | | - Michael Levy
- Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - E Ann Yeh
- Department of Paediatrics (Neurology), Hospital for Sick Children, Division of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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Ford M, Orlando E, Amengual JE. EBV Reactivation and Lymphomagenesis: More Questions than Answers. Curr Hematol Malig Rep 2023; 18:226-233. [PMID: 37566338 DOI: 10.1007/s11899-023-00708-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) is a ubiquitous herpesvirus that affects almost all humans and establishes lifelong infections by infecting B-lymphocytes leading to their immortalization. EBV has a discrete life cycle with latency and lytic reactivation phases. EBV can reactivate and cause lymphoproliferation in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals. There is sparse literature on monitoring protocols for EBV reactivation and no standardized treatment protocols to treat EBV-driven lymphoproliferation. RECENT FINDINGS While there are no FDA-approved therapies to treat EBV, there are several strategies to inhibit EBV replication. These include immunosuppression reduction, nucleoside analogs, HDAC inhibitors, EBV-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs), and monoclonal antibodies, such as rituximab. There is currently an open clinic trial combining the use of a HDAC inhibitor, nanatinostat, and ganciclovir to treat refractory/relapsed EBV lymphomas. Another novel therapy includes tabelecleucel, which is an allogenic EBV-directed T-cell immunotherapy that was approved by the European Medicines Agency, but is currently only available in the US for limited use in relapsed or refractory EBV-positive PTLD. Further research is needed to establish EBV monitoring protocols in high-risk populations, such as those with autoimmune disease, cancer, HIV, or receiving immunosuppressive therapy. Additionally, standardized treatments for both the prevention of EBV reactivation in high-risk populations and treatment of EBV reactivation and lymphoproliferation need to be established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maegan Ford
- Division of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplant, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Evelyn Orlando
- Division of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Jennifer Effie Amengual
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
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